Colon flushing nozzle with dissolvable tip



Oct. 12, 1954 J. A. BRIED 2,691,373

COLON FLUSHING NOZZLE WITH DISSOLVABLE TIP Filed NOV. l5, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

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Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE COLON FLUSHING NOZZLE WITH DISSOLVABLE TIP Julien A. Bried, Berkeley, Calif. Application November 15, 1951, Serial No. 256,525

(Cl. 12S-239) 6 Claims. l

This invention relates to apparatus for irrigating or flushing the human colon, and has for its principal object the provision of means to supplant the use of an enema bed pan for Ibedridden persons incapable of having proper natural movements or of substantially aiding in the elimination of fecal matter from their bowels, as frequently the case with persons that are paralyzed or partially so.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved colon flushing apparatus and with part of the rectal nozzle and its tip shown in section. The arrangement of the apparatus in this figure is as if being applied to a patient lying on his side at the edge of a bed.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the controlling valve Fig. 1 as seen from the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the valve as seen from the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic cross section of the valve showing its six different positions of adjustment.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged part sectional view of the pilot end on the rectal nozzle showing a Variation in the construction of the tip.

Before describing the drawings in detail it will be helpful to state that the apparatus relates more to simple home use devices for the purpose above set out so as to do away entirely with the administering of ordinary enernas with the use of bed pans, yet easily secure a much more complete removal of the feces than is possible even with other flushing apparatus in.

cases where the patient cannot aid in expelling it-or where a portion of it will not pass through any presently obtainable rectal nozzle connected to a discharge hose, as the openings in the tip of such nozzles are necessarily much smaller than the nozzle tube as it must be tapered down t0 a rounding point for insertion, and any side openings provided are blocked by the walls of the colon.

The present invention overcomes the above objections by providing an extra large nozzle bore open straight through but capped on the entering end with a removable rounding point pilot tip which is quickly disintegrated, or dissolved, after entry, to thus expose the freev open end of the large straight bore to freely receive the feces and pass the matter through the bore to an equally large bore rubber tube or other discharge pipe leading ever downward to a floor bucket, the withdrawal of the matter being largely by gravity aided by a falling column of water rst established in the downwardly eX- tending tube, and after which more water is introduced into the colon to disperse the disintegrable nozzle tip and soften the feces.

The operation of the apparatus is easily carried out by a single nurse in a few minutes with the patient lying on one side close to the edge of the bed, so that the discharge hose will lead downward.

With the above explanation of the purpose of the apparatus the details of construction will be more clearly understood.

In the drawings Fig. 1 the rectal nozzle is indicated at I, its separate disintegrable entering or pilot tip I', its valve 3, discharge tube or hose 4, water supply tube 5, floor bucket t.

The above constitute the main features of the apparatus. The rectal nozzle is preferably made of hard rubber or a hard be made of metal, and the valve 3 similarly.- The valve is preferably a three-way taper plug type valve formed on or secured to the rear end of the rectal nozzle so that a nurse can manipulate the valve while at the same time hold the nozzle from being accidentally pulled out of the rectum.

Hoses 4 and 5 are preferably of rubber, or plastic, and hose 4 is preferably translucent or transparent so that the discharging matter may be easily observed. The hoses attach to the valve over nipples l and 8, the former and likewise the Valve passage being of a size to preserve at least the full uninterrupted diameter of the bore 9 of the nozzle, but the water inlet tube or hose 5 and its attaching nipple 8 may be much smaller as indicated. Hose 5 leads down from any elevated container or low pressure of warm water, soapy, or medicated as desired, with which to flush or irrigate the patients colon. Discharge hose 4 is shown detachably fastened to the .upper edge of va slop bucket 6 as by a detachable spring clip Il) so that its lower end will remain above any liquid level in the pail, and preferably attached to the clip adjacent the lower end of the hose 4 is a hose pinching clamp Il or any other type of quick opening shut-ofi valve and which is kept closed until it is desired to siphon olf the contents of the colon and which is done (after first introducing warm water from hose 5 into the colon) by first opening valve 3 fully to connect nozzle passage 9 with hose 4, and thereafter quickly opening hose clamp H to suddenly drop the liquid column of plastic, though it mayy hose 4li into the bucket 6 and thereby also draw out of the colon the loosened and liquid content.

A hose pinching clamp may also advantageously be placed on water feed hose 5 as at I2 to facilitate connecting and disconnecting this hose from the valve 3 when the hose is full of water, or when assembling the parts. Valve 3 is shown as what is termed a three-way plug valve but it has actually six useful positions as shown in the diagram Fig. 4 as follows: Position #'l where it opens hose `5 to hose 4, #"2 shuts off all ports, #3 opens water supply hose to nozzle passage or bore 9, #4 closes off all ports, #5 opens nozzle bore to discharge hose 4, #6 closes off all ports.

The valve plug 3 is tapered and fits within a complementarily shaped housing shell i3 arranged adjacent the enlarged rear portion lll of the rectal nozzle and the plug is turned by means of a thumb and nger .operated handle l5 at the large end of the plug, and which handle is preferably curved as shown in Fig. l to indicate the extension of the valve passage l through the plug so that a glance at it will show the nurse how the valve is set. However, an audible indicator or click takes place at every one of the six positions of the valve and which positions are marked around the edge of the valve shell I3 as by numerals l to ii as shown on said edge in Fig. l and indicated by a pointer l1 on the plug.

The click is produced by the ends i3 of a small leaf spring which snap into slight depressions around the small end of the shell i3 each formed with an abrupt edge I9, or any other suitable detent. The spring i8 also resiliently holds the tapered plug in its seat, as it ts over a squared part 2i] of a shank 2l extending from the small end of the plug and is held in place as by a thumb nut 22. Thus, if the edges i9 are abrupt enough the plug may be turned one way only (to the right or clockwise) and cannot be reversed. This makes it impossible for soiled liquid from the discharge getting into the fresh water, as the valve plug must necessarily be turned through the valve-plug washing position #l before any more fresh water can be introduced into the rectum nozzle.

The rectal nozzle in Fig. 1 is preferably provided with a plurality of rounding circular ridges 23 for gripping by the sphincter to hold it in place when inserted, and/or it may have an enlarged portion as at 24 in Fig. 5 to pass just beyond the sphincter if desired.

The rectal nozzle bore 9 as shown in the drawing is larger than any which the applicant has been able to find on the market, but it may be much larger, or smaller if desired, and regardless of its size (a bore of 1/2 inch diameter was found large enough in practice) it will always provide a fully open free passageway after insertion, as the rounding pointed tip l' is only a temporary pilot tip for insertion purposes only, as it is disintegrable after insertion to fall into small fragments, or dissolve, and provide a fully open ended tube (the end of nozzle tube l) to directly receive the material and liquid matter to be removed from the colon.

The disintegrable quality of the nozzle pilot tip I may be achieved in various ways, some of which are given below:

1st. The pilot tip may be a thin shell strong enough to resist crushing or destruction upon inserting into the rectum, yet quickly soluble when exposed to the aqueous content of the colon and/or the further admission of the warm flushing water from hose 5.

2nd. The pilot tip may be soluble and have weakening lines as indicated at 25 in Fig. 5 so that when wetted it will break up in small pieces which will readily pass out of the bore of the nozzle.

3rd. The pilot tip may be a hollow baked product similar in composition to what are known as biscuits, pretzels, or hard crackers, which will be strong enough when dry but fall apart when wet. Or it may be pressed of sawdust or other inert matter and a binder such as dextrin, gum arabic or tragacanth.

4th. The pilot tip may be a frozen solid or shell of water, milk, or any desired mixture which will quickly melt after insertion. Such a frozen pilot tip would of course be limited in its application to patients where its coolness could not be objectionably felt, or cause any injurious effect.

5th. Any of the above disintegrable temporary nozzle tips may incorporate any desired germicide or medicament.

For an aqueous soluble nozzle tip, it may be preferably a pressed product for easy manufacture and formed of any suitable pill body material such as lactose or any mixture of lactose with starch, or other pill body binders or stabilizers innocuous for the purpose intended. Or the pilot tip may be molded or pressed of any suitable candy body having sufficient strength and solubility, or a candy body mixed with a portion of flour, or any insert powder such as chalk, or diatomaceous earth to weaken it. Or, the tip may be formed by pressure of sugar candy wafer composition so it will disintegrate as well as dissolve quickly.

It will thus be seen that various and numerous compositions may be used from which to form or mold the disintegrable pilot tip for the rectal nozzle so that a very large plain open ended (though edge rounded) nozzle may be sliod with such a tip, the anus and/or the tip lubricated with Vaseline or other suitable lubricant not tending to soften the tip, and the nozzle quickly inserted into the rectum, and in a few moments the pilot tip will have dissolved, or disintegrated, so that the end of the nozzle will be entirely open and unrestricted at any point to discharge the colon contents.

To hasten the disintegration of the pilot tip it is desirable that the tip have a small hole through its axis as indicated at 2B in Figs. l and 5 so that the warm water from hose 5 may be injected through the hole to soften the feces While at the same time quickly disintegrate or dissolve the pilot tip.

The disntegrable pilot tip may be solid or of hollow shell form with any required thickness of walls to give it the necessary strength depending on the strength and solubility or melting point of the body material or mixture used, and the tip may be secured in any desired manner to the nozzle, preferably being held in place by friction as by a reduced diameter shank portion 2l to slip nicely into the open end of the nozzle t, either straight or slightly tapered, or it may be threaded onto the nozzle, as by one or two turns of coarse rounded threads 28 as indicated in Fig. 5.

It should be noted that by reason of the shank oi the dissolvable tip fitting within the bore of the tube, the entire body and shank of the tip are exposed to the action of running warm water as the water is admitted to the colon, and hence dlr' l M12,

the entire tip from end to end is entirely and quickly disintegrated or dissolved.

In using the apparatus clamp Il is preferably rst closed to shut oil the lower end of hose 4, valve 3 is turned to position 1 to permit warm Water to run from supply hose 5 to fill up hose 4. Valve 3 may then be turned to closed position 2, nozzle tip and/or anus lubricated, nozzle with pilot tip in place is inserted, Valve turned to position 3 to open water supply to nozzle bore until desired amount of water has been injected, or other desired liquid, as judged preferably from a sight feed elevated container (not shown), valve 3 is then turned to position 4 to close all ports for time desired to soften feces and complete the destruction of the pilot tip, then valve is turned to position 5 to open nozzle passage 9 to discharge hose 4 (as shown in Fig. 4) then hose clamp or valve l I is opened quickly and fully, to permit a sudden gush of the liquid in the descending hose 4 down into the bucket G to draw with it a large amount of the liquid and softened colon content.

After permitting the hose 4 to drain for a minute or so, valve 3 may be turned to closed position #l or right past #l to #2 position to Wash out the valve passage and hose 4, then valve Il is again closed and the water permitted to ll up hose 4, and the process of injecting fresh walter, resting, drawing oif, as described is repeated as required to secure the results desired.

If for any reason the rectal nozzle is-withdrawn before the treatment is complete, the end of the nozzle tube will be rinsed and wiped oil and a fresh pilot tip applied to the tube before reinserting, after of course again applying the lubricant as described.

While the ,apparatus as above described is particularly useful for colon ilushing or irrigation, the novel features claimed may have other uses in surgery and therapy and therefore the title colon flushing nozzle with dissolvable tip is not to be taken as restrictive in any sense but is merely adopted for classification purposes in the Patent Oiiice, and similarly with the name rectal nozzle as used herein and in the claims, as it is obvious that the disintegrating pilot tip may be applied directly to the end of a hose or other tube rather than to a specic rectal nozzle.

Also, my use of the word disintegrated in the claims is, where not qualined, intended to include physical disintegration, dissolving,y and melting, or any combination of these properties.

A copending divisional and continuation in part of this application has been filed under Serial No. 446,065 on date of July 27, 1954, entitled C'olon Flushing Apparatus, which is drawn to the establishment and valve control of the gravity drop discharge leg of liquid to create the suction or siphon discharge effect shown and described herein, together with an improvement thereon.

I therefore claim:

l. The combination of a rectal flushing tube With a substantially unrestricted bore extending therethrough and with its edges rounded, and a separate rounding pointed temporary Water disintegrable tip therefor'formed with a reduced size neck fitting within the bore at the end of the tube.

2. The combination of a rectal ilushing tube with a substantially unrestricted bore extending therethrough and with its edges rounded, and a separate rounding pointed temporary water disintegrable tip therefor formed with a reduced size neck fitting within the bore at the end of the tube and the portion of the tip at the base of the neck being substantially as large as the outer diameter of the tube forming a shoulder substantially seating against the rounding outer end of the tube.

3. A temporary tip for a rectal tube comprising a cylindrical roundingly pointed body of water disintegrable material formed with a shank of reduced diameter to frictionally t within the bore at one end of the tube.

4. A temporary tip for a rectal tube comprising a cylindrical roundingly pointed body of water disintegrable material formed with a shank of reduced diameter to frictionally t Within the bore at one end of the tube and having a relatively small through passage.

5. A temporary tip for a rectal tube comprising a cylindrical roundingly pointed body of Water disintegrable material formed with a shank of reduced diameter to frictionally fit within the bore at one end of the tube and having a relatively small through passage, the body of said tip being substantially non-gelatinous and free from water repellant grease.

6. A temporary tip for a rectal ushing tube comprising a cylindrical roundingly pointed body of water disintegrable material formed with a shank to it within the bore at one end of the tube, said body provided with weakening grooves formed in it to cause it to fall into small pieces in water before general disintegration is complete.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 801,924 Shiley Oct. 17, 1905 1,497,264 Gurnee et al. June 10, 1924 1,710,540 Hollander Apr. 29, 1929 2,484,290 Handel Oct. 11, 1949 2,538,215 Stack Jan. 16, 1951 2,603,217 McShirley July 15, 1952 

